Phase3D raises $2.9M to scale Fringe Inspection for metal AM
Phase3D, based in Chicago, Illinois, USA, has announced the successful close of an oversubscribed $2.9 million funding round. The capital is intended to accelerate the scale-up of Fringe Inspection, Phase3D’s flagship structured-light heightmap sensor, and bring real-time quality inspection to metal Additive Manufacturing machines.
“We are excited to announce Phase3D’s completion of a pivotal funding round,” stated Dr Niall O’Dowd, founder & CEO, Phase3D. “We have raised capital to support the continued growth and increasing deployments of our flagship quality inspection product for metal 3D printing. This investment will catalyse faster adoption of real-time quality inspection for Additive Manufacturing, and we are very excited for the future.”
Phase3D’s Fringe Inspection technology aims to address the perceived lack of in-process quality assurance directly, delivering real-time, layer-by-layer heightmap data that enables operators to increase manufacturing yield by helping to ensure high-quality parts.
Fringe Inspection uses structured-light metrology to generate precise surface heightmaps at every layer of a metal Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) build. Deployed directly on the Additive Manufacturing machine, the sensor captures data continuously throughout the build without any interruption to the process. The result is a complete, layer-by-layer quantitative record of the build: powder bed consistency, spatter particle deposition, recoater streaks, and internal feature geometry can all be measured in real time.
This data enables operators to detect and characterise anomalies as they form rather than discovering failures after a build is complete or during post-process CT inspection. From identifying spatter particles that compromise fatigue life, to validating that internal channel geometries meet design tolerances, to confirming powder bed uniformity across the full build plate, Fringe Inspection gives manufacturers the visibility they need to accept parts with confidence and improve machine yield over time.
Phase3D currently supports enterprise customers across aerospace, defence, and industrial markets, with deployments and collaborations spanning organisations including NASA, the US Air Force, and the US Navy.
According to Phase3D, its oversubscribed round reflects strong conviction from investors in the depth of its traction with many enterprise customers and the scale of the opportunity to transition the metal Additive Manufacturing industry from rapid prototyping to ‘born-qualified’ components.
Use of proceeds
This investment marks a deliberate and exciting new chapter for Phase3D. With the capital in place, the company is moving from a high-mix custom build model to standardised product manufacturing at scale, expanding its software and data science capabilities, and accelerating deployments across its pipeline of enterprise and government customers.
“We have been through some distinct stages of growth at Phase3D. Initially, we worked to develop the technology to ensure robust, repeatable measurements for metal Additive Manufacturing,” added Ben Ferrar, COO & CFO, Phase3D. “Next, we focused heavily on deploying our products to customers to translate metrology data into meaningful decisions. Now, this investment enables us to scale up manufacturing as we drive to become the industry standard for in-situ inspection.”
The round was led by Quest Venture Partners, with participation from Trinity Capital, Kinisis Ventures, Leroy Street Capital Partners, Asimov Ventures, and more.
Board addition
Phase3D also welcomed Ray Farrell to its Board of Directors. Farrell brings strategic perspective expected to help Phase3D navigate the future: building IP infrastructure that protects its technology, enables commercial scale, and positions the company for long-term success.
“When the Phase3D opportunity came up, what stood out was the early customer traction,” stated Farrell, incoming Board Member. “It’s special to have aerospace and automotive prime customers while simultaneously addressing top-level initiatives from the Air Force, Navy, and NASA.”
Farrell is a partner at Carter DeLuca with more than twenty-five years of experience advising clients on the development of complex intellectual property portfolios and commercial product launches in highly competitive environments. He is an active mentor to deep-tech entrepreneurs and has experience advising technology ventures on intellectual property strategy and commercialisation.
